Pakistan
Pakistani Civil Society Groups Promote Global Gun Control Campaign
Post (Pakistan)
10 June 2008
PESHAWAR -- Concerned at the increasing number of fatalities by small arms, speakers at a workshop stressed the need to raise awareness about the threat to life posed by small arms and asked the government to regulate the inflow and use of firearms in Pakistan. There are about 20 million small arms in Pakistan, making it the country with the highest per capita guns in the world, the speakers observed. They said that an estimated... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan, Afghanistan
Pakistani Gun Control Groups Target US, Afghanistan for Weapon Flood
International News (Karachi)
10 June 2008
PESHAWAR -- Highlighting case of Pakistan Raza Shah Khan, executive director of Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (Spado) claimed that the problem of arms proliferation in the region was the result of Afghanistan war wherein the US provided about $2 billion in arms aid. "We had the greatest number of guns per capita in the world," he told a seminar, jointly organised by Spado, Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Launches Campaign to Prevent Civilians Carrying Guns
International News (Karachi)
2 May 2008
ISLAMABAD -- The Ministry of Interior Wednesday directed all provincial governments to launch an immediate focused campaign against display, brandishing and carriage of small weapons, says a press release. The ministry underscored the fact that vast majority of the killings and casualties are directly attributable to the use of small arms, which are easy to carry and conceal therefore the provincial governments have been directed... ( gunpolicy.org )
World, United States, France, Canada, Germany, Angola, Thailand, Australia, Colombia, South Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil, United Kingdom, India, China
Guns Around the World: Civilian Firearms per 100 People in 16 Nations
Economist
30 April 2008
An estimated 875m small arms are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven people on the planet. Nearly three-quarters of these are owned by civilians. And about 80% of those guns in civilian hands are found in just 30 countries, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research group. Although America accounts for 40% of firearms in civilian ownership, people put them to more deadly use elsewhere. The gun murder rate in Colombia... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Punjab Issues Free Firearm Licences, Glock Handguns to Top Civil Servants
Daily Times (Lahore)
4 April 2008
LAHORE -- The Punjab Home Department has issued Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) gratis licences (free of cost weapon licences) to 60 top bureaucrats from the administrative hierarchy of the province for their self-protection. The Punjab government will import Glock-17s, an Austrian-made handgun that costs between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000, to be given to the 60 officers. Of the 60, 15 are administrative and special secretaries... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Boy's 'Obnoxious' Text Messages Led to Gunshot Injury at Pakistani School
Daily Times (Lahore)
29 February 2008
ISLAMABAD -- A student on Thursday was accidentally shot and injured in a scuffle between two other students in front of Federal Government Model School for Boys, I-8/4. Industrial Area police said that 16-year-old Abdul Rehman, a grade nine student of the said school, was injured when 17-year-old Ansar Muhammad, a student of private technical institute located in Sector H-8, allegedly opened fire on Usman -- the victim's schoolfellow.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan's Elections Spur 1500% Increase in Karachi Gun Sales - Dealers
International News (Karachi)
17 February 2008
KARACHI -- Amidst the prevailing socio-political uncertainty that has characterized the period leading up to the general elections 2008, the regulated sale of weapons has registered an increase of almost 1,500 per cent. Citizens themselves are feeling insecure with regards to the potential -- both perceived and actual -- for trouble during the run up to the elections, in particular polling day itself and the fallout of the election... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Heavy Gunfight Closes Notorious Pakistani Arms Bazaar, Darra Adam Khel
Washington Times
5 February 2008
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A notorious arms bazaar that provides a source of weapons for al Qaeda-backed fighters in Pakistan's northwestern areas faces closure after heavy fighting between government troops and Islamic militants late last month, reports from the area said. The fighting erupted Jan. 25 when militants loyal to South Waziristan insurgent commander Baitullah Mehsud blocked the strategic Kohat Tunnel, 30 miles south of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Weapon Ban, Celebratory Wedding Shootings Hike Gun Prices in Pakistan
Daily Times (Lahore)
26 December 2007
LAHORE -- The prices of small weapons and ammunition have increased since November, weapon dealers have told Daily Times. Some dealers said the weapons' prices had increased because of an increase in their use at wedding ceremonies. The other dealers said an increased risk in keeping the weapons and a fear of the cancellation of selling permits had pushed up the prices after the government had imposed a ban on carrying the weapons.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
12,119 Caught with Illegal Guns, 5,773 Weapons Seized in Pakistani Election
Post (Pakistan)
21 December 2007
LAHORE -- Sophisticated weapons business is on the rise due to general elections, The Post learnt on Wednesday. Candidates belonging to different political parties, and their supporters, can be seen carrying weapons in their election campaigns, apparently, for their security, though many believe, for using traditional tactics to threaten their opponents. Sources said seven police teams including, Operation Wing, Investigation... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Illegal Pakistani Factories Produce 'Millions of Guns,' Employ 10,000 People
San Francisco Chronicle
16 November 2007
DARRA ADAMKHEL, Pakistan -- Gen. Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule decree earlier this month has had little effect in Pakistan's tribal areas, where Taliban and al Qaeda groups are thriving, most analysts agree. But nowhere is that more evident than in this dusty border town near Afghanistan, where about 100 illegal weapons factories openly furnish arms and explosives to Taliban fighters, local elders and government officials, analysts... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan, Afghanistan
Taliban Resurgence Pushes Up Gun Prices in Pakistan's Darra Adam Khel
Daily Times (Lahore)
2 November 2007
PESHAWAR -- The sales and prices of arms in Frontier Region (FR) of Darra Adam Khel, famous for its illegal arms market, have shot up as the Taliban insurgency is gaining momentum in the tribal areas and parts of NWFP, Daily Times learnt on Thursday. Shopkeepers in Darra bazaar told Daily Times that the prices of weapons had soared because the "mujahideen" who used to sell weapons in the past now needed them. A shopkeeper... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistani Wedding Party Drinkers Blamed for Shot Infant, Wounded Mother
International News (Karachi)
30 October 2007
RAWALPINDI -- A stray bullet fired by someone in a group of drunkards killed an 18-month-old boy in the lap of his mother here late on Sunday night, police said. The gunmen started firing on people standing on rooftops of their houses when they prevented them from firing in the air, police said. Zafar Iqbal, son of Raja Gulistan, resident of Haji Chowk, told the Sadiqabad police that he runs a shop adjacent to his house. He said... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Young Pakistani Girl Killed by Stray Bullet in Area Known for Street Shootouts
International News (Karachi)
26 October 2007
A young girl fell victim to a stray bullet on Thursday in the locality of Lyari, which is infested with armed clashes among notorious criminal gangs. According to Kalakot Police till 10pm no heirs of the deceased 15-year-old Shumaila d/o Muhammad Saleem had turned up at the police station to register the case against the yet unidentified criminal elements that resorted aerial or indiscriminate firing in their area of residence.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Guns Proliferate Rapidly, 'Violence Impossible to Stop' in Outback Pakistan
Reuters AlertNet / IRIN
20 September 2007
PESHAWAR -- In the small town of Bannu, some 190km south of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's rugged North West Frontier Province (NWFP), an unusual sound sometimes rents the air. "The whiz and hiss of a missile being set off is both thrilling and terrifying," Mobeen Khan, a 40-year-old bus driver who regularly plies the dusty route between Peshawar and Bannu, told IRIN. "At first, we were unfamiliar with the sound. Now we are... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Global Week of Action: NGO Calls for Gun Violence Commission in Pakistan
Frontier Post (Peshawar)
13 June 2007
PESHAWAR -- This week if the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, and events are being held in 50 countries to draw attention to the human of small arms proliferation and misuse. Activities in Pakistan are joining their colleagues around the world in demanding policies to stem the flood of guns and make communities safer. The government has not established a National Commission to address gun violence, which is a requirement... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Committed to Curbs on Global Gun Running, Declares Senator
Associated Press of Pakistan
8 February 2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production, Senator Nisar A. Memon has reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the 2001 United Nations Programme of Action to curb illicit trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. He was addressing a two-day workshop on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) here in philippines, which was organized by Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), a non-profit international... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan, United Nations
Pakistan Vows to Help Curb Global Gun Trade
The News (Islamabad)
7 February 2007
MANILA -- Senator Nisar Memon reiterated Pakistan's commitment to 2001 United Nations programme of action to curb illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Speaking at a workshop on "Small arms and light weapons (SALW) and proposed arms treaty" organised here by the Parliamentarians for the Globe Action, he pointed out that like many other countries located close to the areas of conflict situations, Pakistan is also faced with... ( gunpolicy.org )
China, Pakistan
China Passes Death Sentences on Pakistan-China Gun Runners
China Daily / Reuters
26 October 2006
A court in western China has upheld death sentences against two leaders of a gun-running racket that reached into neighbouring Pakistan, state media reported on Wednesday. Last October, Ma Zeying and Zhang Chenming were sentenced to death by Haidong District Court in China's Qinghai province for illegally buying, shipping and selling guns in China's biggest gun-running case. It said the gang bought 914 guns and 1,556 gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistani Policeman Killed by Colleague's Gun; Teens, Labour Leader Shot
International News (Karachi)
4 October 2006
KARACHI -- A policeman was killed on Tuesday. Shahnawaz, 50, a Head Constable in the police, got killed when a licensed pistol went off suddenly in the hands of Muhammad Azam, a policeman, while he was cleaning it inside the Police Headquarters, Malir, within Saudabad police jurisdiction. Shahnawaz was a resident of Bilal Colony and was father of five kids.The area police said that it was an accident in which Azam also suffered... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan, United Nations
Pakistan 'Proactively ' Pursuing UN Agenda to Curb Illicit Gun Trade
Pakistan Times
5 July 2006
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan is proactively implementing in letter and spirit the UN mandate for all countries to combat and eradicate illicit small arms and light weapons, said the country's delegate to a UN conference in New York. Director General Ministry of Interior Brig. (Retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema addressed the UN conference held last week to review progress made in the implementation of world body's Programme of Action to prevent,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
'Small Arms Are the Real WMDs' - 20 Million Guns Loose in Pakistan
Daily Times (Lahore)
5 May 2006
PESHAWAR -- Speakers at a seminar said small arms were weapons of mass destruction and claimed 200,000 lives each year in 'peaceful nations' in addition to tens of thousands killed in wars and other armed conflicts the world over. They said that over two million children were killed since 1990 by small weapons. The Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (SPADO) and the British High Commission in Pakistan organised the seminar... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Issues 12,489 Gun Licences in 15 Months
Daily Times (Lahore)
13 April 2006
ISLAMABAD -- Interior Minster Aftab Khan Sherpao told the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday that his ministry had issued 12,106 licences for non-prohibited guns and 383 for prohibited guns from January 1, 2005 to March 9, 2006. Sherpao provided this information to the NA in a written response to a question raised by Ramesh Lal. "Employees of Sindh and North West Frontier Province (NWFP) governments are exempted from paying annual... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
New Status Symbol for Pakistani Politicians: Their Own G3 Assault Rifles
Daily Times (Lahore)
4 April 2006
LAHORE -- Punjab Assembly Speaker Muhammad Afzal Sahi has been given an extraordinary authorisation to buy a sophisticated assault rifle from the Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF) in Wah that has hitherto been in the exclusive use of Pakistani soldiers. The G3 assault rifle, with its long range and high accuracy, is rapidly gaining popularity among politicians and appears to be on its way to becoming a status symbol among Pakistani... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Machine Guns, Assault Rifles, Ammo Missing from Pakistani Police Arsenal
Dawn (Karachi)
28 February 2006
LARKANA -- A large quantity of arms, including a rocket-launcher, and ammunition are missing from the arsenal of the Qambar police station. SHO Sardar Khan Chandio, who noticed the shortfall during an inspection of the arsenal, informed the District Police Officer, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Ahmed Yar Chauhan, who conducted an inquiry. The DPO told Dawn that the matter had been reported to the Regional Police Officer (RPO), Sukkur and the DIG Police... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, United States, Iran, Israel, Egypt, China, Syria, India, Pakistan, Trinidad & Tobago
Traditional Foes Hold Up UN Progress on Small Arms
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
22 January 2006
NEW YORK -- After two weeks of talking, governments have achieved virtually no outcome from a UN conference on controlling the proliferation and misuse of small arms. During this time, approximately 12,000 more people have died at gunpoint and many more have been injured, bereaved or denied access to livelihoods, healthcare and education because of armed violence. Usually at loggerheads on disarmament issues, the USA and Iran, Israel... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
The Growing Gun Menace: 'Indian AK-47s' Smuggled to Punjab
Dawn (Karachi), Editorial
26 September 2005
The seizure of a large number of AK-47 assault rifles, bullets and magazines by customs authorities in Kohat district draws attention to the perils of unchecked arms proliferation in the country. While the fact that the weapons, bound for Punjab from the notorious gun-making centre of Darra Adamkhel, were Indian-made adds a troubling new dimension to the problem, the blame for the production and sale of illegal weapons inside the... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Pakistan
Kashmiri Women Take Up Arms for Self-Protection
Middle East Times (Cyprus)
23 September 2005
MARAH, Jammu and Kashmir -- Women in Jammu and Kashmir have now picked up guns against Islamic militants to protect their homes. At least 30 Muslim women in the disputed region to the north of India and Pakistan have constituted a separate all-women Village Defense Committee (VDC) and are operating with the Indian army in the forested mountains of Surankote in the Poonch district bordering the Pakistani side of Kashmir to fight... ( gunpolicy.org )
China, Pakistan
46 Gun Trafficking Suspects Arrested in 3 Months
China Daily
25 August 2005
Seventeen people were charged with smuggling arms from Pakistan into Xinjiang and Qinghai as the court in Northwest China's Qinghai Province heard on Tuesday. The case involved more than 900 guns and over 1,500 gun accessories, making it one of the largest arms smuggling cases the country has seen, Xinhua News Agency reported. The alleged ringleader Ma Zeying, and Li Zhi purchased guns and accessories in Pakistan between... ( gunpolicy.org )
China, Pakistan
China Charges 17 With Running Guns from Pakistan
Reuters
25 August 2005
BEIJING -- Seventeen Chinese have been charged with running guns from Pakistan in one of the largest arms-smuggling cases in China's history, state media said on Thursday. The defendants, who went on trial on Tuesday in the remote western province of Qinghai, neighboring Tibet, are accused of buying more than 900 guns and 1,500 gun accessories in Pakistan, the China Daily said. They were sold in Kashgar, in China's restive... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Arms, Ammunition Shipment Seized in Pakistan
News International (Karachi)
5 August 2005
QUETTA -- The Pakistan Coast Guards seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition in a raid conducted in Gwadar, some 832-km off here, officials said on Thursday. The arms and ammunition are believed to be smuggled in the Gwadar city for committing terrorism, officials said. According to the sources, the Coast Guards, after receiving some information regarding the smuggling of arms and ammunition made a comprehensive planning... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan, United States, World
Small Arms Proliferation: Weapons the Backbone of Economic Growth
Daily Times (Lahore), Opinion
31 July 2005
The largest exporter of small arms in the world is the USA. The economic depression of the 1930s ended due to an unprecedented expansion of the production of weapons. Though few economists will acknowledge this publicly, there is a realisation that weapons, and therefore, wars, are the backbone of economic growth Whenever the word "proliferation" is used it is assumed that one is referring to proliferation of nuclear weapons or... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Dispute Over Desilting: 5 of a Family Shot Dead
Dawn (Karachi)
22 June 2005
LARKANA -- Five of a family, two of them brothers, were shot dead and four others injured in Hakim Sultan Magsi village near Mirokhan town on Tuesday. The alleged killer, Mehrab Magsi, had objected over desilting of a watercourse which irrigated lands of the villagers. He along with sons -- Nadir Magsi, Shabir and Abbas Magsi -- opened fire on them killing Nazal Magsi, Ghulam Hussain, Imdad Hussain and Zulfikar Magsi on the spot.... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand, Pakistan
Pakistan President's Gunslingers Muzzled in Kiwiland
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
18 June 2005
LAHORE -- Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf's visit to New Zealand had a rocky start when the Auckland police seized a pistol from one of Musharraf's bodyguards. Pakistani officials got involved into a lengthy discussion with the police and it was only after the intervention of the Diplomatic Squad Chief Inspector Bruce Blayney that the issue was sorted out, and five guns were handed over to the New Zealand authorities.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Steps to Check Arms' Spread Stressed
Dawn (Karachi)
9 June 2005
PESHAWAR -- Expressing concern over proliferation of small arms, two NGOs have urged the government to fulfil its commitment with the United Nations about the implementation of its Programme of Action on small arms. Speaking at a joint press conference in connection with the Global Week of Action Against Guns (June 6-12) here on Wednesday, Executive Director of the Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO) Raza Shah... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Ten Million Illegal Weapons in Civilian Hands
Daily Times (Lahore)
9 June 2005
PESHAWAR -- Civil society organisations working towards a world free of firearms urged the government on Wednesday to fulfil its commitment to implement the United Nations' Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. In connection with the global week of Action Against Guns (June 6 to 12), officials of the Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (SPADO) and Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme said that four... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Karachi Eases Civilian Gun Imports
International News (Karachi)
2 June 2005
KARACHI -- The government has eased commercial import of foreign made self-defence weapons, sporting guns and handguns, highly placed sources in the Customs House, Karachi, said on Wednesday. The sources said that commercial import of 12, 14, 16 bore shot guns including pump action and semi-automatic, revolvers, pistols of all bores, and .22 calibre rifle non-automatic has been allowed. Sources elaborated that the import... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Tribal Gunsmiths Seek Free Trade for Firearms
Dawn (Karachi)
23 May 2005
PESHAWAR -- Weapons manufacturers of Darra Adamkhel have sought permission for legal transportation of licensed arms from 3,000 units in the tribal area, sources say. The units, about 35km south of here, produce small and sophisticated weapons, including replicas of renowned models, old vintage weapons, antique and quality guns. These weapons may also attract foreign buyers, specially for sport guns and copies of vintage weapons. "Despite... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Gun Bazaar Bites Bullet
Weekend Standard (Hong Kong) / AP
12 March 2005
Sitting in his father's shabby one-room firearms shop in Pakistan's wild northwestern tribal region, 16-year-old Dilnawaz Khan puts the final touches on a small but deadly pistol shaped like a simple fountain pen. Dilnawaz is one of 12,000 workers in Pakistan's largest weapons bazaar -- a mostly unregulated crush of small shops on the dusty streets of Darra Adamkhel, a lawless village where customers can find anything from an assault... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Offers to Pay Tribesmen to Disarm
Reuters
4 March 2005
WANA -- Pakistan's government wants to buy heavy weapons from tribesmen in a volatile region near the Afghan border where security forces are hunting al Qaeda militants, an official said on Friday. The offer to purchase missiles, rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns is aimed at defusing tension in South Waziristan, an area where hundreds of militants hid after the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan (news -- web sites) following the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Cheap Kalashnikovs Fuelling Culture of Violence
Khaleej Times (Dubai), Opinion
19 September 2004
The ongoing operations being conducted in South Waziristan by the Pakistan Army, accompanied as they are by rising casualties on both sides, are beginning to take on aspects of a minor civil war. Although the principal target of the security forces are the foreign (Afghan, Arab and Central Asian) fighters said to be in the area, the fact is that many local tribesmen and their families have been killed and wounded. These are all... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
US to Buy Guns from Pakistan
Asian News International / Dawn (Pakistan)
15 July 2004
WASHINGTON -- The United States has decided to buy small arms and ammunition from Pakistan, for use in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The US government needed small arms and light equipment for Iraq and Afghanistan. And they (Americans) have expressed their willingness to buy various kinds of weapons from Pakistan," official sources told The Dawn. They pointed out that the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) and its 14 allied plants... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Database for Punjabi Firearms Licences Announced
Dawn (Karachi)
6 May 2004
ISLAMABAD -- The Ministry of Information Technology has approved 14 projects worth over Rs300 million to automate different public sector organizations and departments including the National Assembly. The approval to this effect was given at a meeting of the departmental development working party (DDWP), which was presided over by the IT secretary, Khalid Saeed. Other senior officials of the ministry and attached departments also... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Govt Apathy Digging Small Arms Makers Into the Grave
Daily Times (Pakistan)
27 April 2004
DARRA ADAMKHEL -- In the absence of government support the century-old arms-manufacturing town of Darra Adamkhel is rapidly losing its distinction as Asia's biggest privately-run weapons market. Most arms and ammunition manufacturers here run small production units in shops and their houses. Much of the work is done manually or with small machinery units. Although the quality of the weapons manufactured is of low standard, they... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Govt Drawing a Bead on Rampant Gun Permits
Daily Times (Pakistan)
9 February 2004
LAHORE -- In a crackdown on gun ownership, the Punjab government is considering using the newly established public safety commissions (PSCs) at district level to revise the 63,000 licenses issued for automatic and semi-automatic weapons in the province. Home Department sources said the PSCs would have the difficult task of collecting information about licensed weapons. The sources said that due to alleged corruption among low-level... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Small Arms Menace an Administrative Problem
Daily Times (Pakistan)
11 July 2003
WASHINGTON -- The official Pakistani delegation attending a UN conference on the proliferation and control of small arms in New York has projected the issue as an administrative one which could be dealt with if more money was made available by rich countries. The official Pakistani representatives, according to Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, an independent participant from Pakistan, "completely ignored the fact that the spread of small arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan, World
Seminar: 'Civilians Own Majority of Small Firearms'
Daily Times (Pakistan)
8 June 2003
PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Civilians own the majority of the world's stockpile of small firearms which cause around 500,000 deaths each year, speakers at a seminar said on Saturday. The seminar on "Fighting Weapons of Civil Destruction" was organised by the Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP) as a part of the global week of action against small arms. It said around 59 percent if a total of 639 million small guns are owned... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
18 Million Illegal Weapons in Country: Small Arms Survey 2002
Dawn (Karachi)
14 January 2003
There are nine illegal arms for every licensed weapon currently held by individuals in the country. According to officials at the Ministry of Interior there were approximately 18 million illegally-held weapons in Pakistan compared to some two million weapons that were in the hands of legally-licensed owners. The figure of two million legally authorized weapons in Pakistan is quoted in the Small Arms Survey, 2002. In 2001, the Musharraf... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Has 18 Million Illegal Firearms -Report
Reuters
14 January 2003
ISLAMABAD -- About 18 million firearms are held illegally in Pakistan in addition to the two million weapons that are legally registered, a newspaper quoted interior ministry officials as saying. Tuesday's edition of Dawn said a campaign launched in 2001 by military president General Pervez Musharraf to counter the country's "Kalashnikov culture" had led to the recovery of 210,000 illegal weapons in 18 months. The paper... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Govt Yet to Give Official Count on Arms Deposited
Daily Star (Pakistan)
25 November 2002
The government could not specify the count of licensed arms deposited even three days after expiry of the extended deadline on November 21. At his regular briefing yesterday, Principal Information Officer (PIO) Khondker Manirul Alam gave a partial data on the deposited arms but failed to give a total figure. Deposited were 11,522 arms with the 22 police stations in the capital and 1,055 with the Office of Deputy Commissioner... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Crackdown on Illegal Arms Markets Soon
Agence France Presse
18 August 2002
ISLAMABAD Pakistan is to close hundreds of illegal weapons outlets in an attempt to change the nation's "Kalashnikov culture" and reduce gun-related killings, which claim thousands of lives each year, officials said on Sunday. Authorities in Northwest Frontier Province, a lawless tribal area which borders Afghanistan and is infamous for violent clashes between rival clans, said that weapons markets there would be closed following... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Under Political Pressure, Gun Town Slumps
International Herald Tribune
12 April 2002
DARRA ADAM KHEL, Pakistan -- Anyone made jumpy by sharp bursts of automatic rifle fire would be well advised not to come here. There is no war, but this is a one-industry town: guns. Small boys assemble cartridges; their brothers operate drill presses; their fathers file away on stocks. More than 3,000 father-and-son operations, manufacturing, trading and selling weapons from their box-like open-front shops, stand one after... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistani Tribes, Gun Trade Go Hand in Hand
San Francisco Chronicle
18 March 2002
DARRA ADAM KHEL, Pakistan -- All along the main street in this dusty, one-horse town, dozens of weapons stores are lined with floor-to-ceiling replicas of Russian, Chinese and American arms. Turbaned men, rifles slung over their shoulders, stroll casually past dirty- faced boys hunched over grinding wheels all seemingly oblivious to a government ban on public display of weapons. Before people carried guns, they carried... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan, Afghanistan
U.N. Urges Afghanistan to Disarm
Associated Press
13 March 2002
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Afghanistan's future is in jeopardy unless it undertakes a serious effort to round up the millions of weapons circulating throughout the country, the U.N.'s chief human rights official said. Mary Robinson, who spent several days in Afghanistan last week, said the most pressing human rights issue that faces the interim government of Prime Minister Hamid Karzai is human security. What really impressed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Weapons Sales Suffering in Pakistan
Newsday (New York)
26 December 2001
DARRA, Pakistan -- A stream of bearded men walked into Mohammad Shah's cramped shop, sat cross-legged on an Afghan carpet, sipped green tea and started haggling over the price of AK-47 assault rifles, pistols and shotguns. A half hour later, three men walked outside and began firing into the air, testing their purchases. Still, Shah complained that business is lagging. My shop used to be packed all the time, he said as... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Guns, Guns and More Guns in Pakistan's Wild West
Reuters
28 September 2001
PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Secret pen guns, pocket guns, handguns, shotguns, machineguns, anti-aircraft guns-the Wild West of Pakistan is a gun lover's dream. Almost any type of gun can be bought or copied, and manufacturers and sellers are optimistic that a predicted U.S. blitz on Afghanistan for sheltering Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the attacks on New York and Washington, could fuel a mini-boom in demand. "If they attack,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Arms Makers Expect a Boom
Dawn (Karachi)
24 September 2001
KOHAT -- Arms and ammunition manufacturers at Darra Adam Khel in the NWFP are foreseeing a boom in the industry after experiencing two consecutive dull business years, in the wake of imminent US-led big and long military operation in the region, according to a Dawn survey. The Darra arms and ammunition industry has been thriving mainly on import of scrap from Afghanistan, dating back to the war fought against Soviet forces, for... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Licensed Arms
Independent (Pakistan), Opinion
23 September 2001
Against the backdrop of poll-related violence throughout the country, and the apparent failure of the relevant authorities in rounding up appreciable quantity of illegal arms from the clutches of anti-social elements, it is with some degree of bewilderment that holders of licensed arms like pistol, shot-gun, etc. are beginning to deposit them with the appropriate authorities as per directive of the Caretaker government. The owners... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Govt Ask Owners of Licensed Arms to Deposit With Police Stations by Sept 25
Independent (Pakistan)
18 September 2001
The government asked all owners of licensed pistols and revolvers to deposit the arms with the nearest police stations by September 25, ahead of general election, reports UNB. Besides, the government has imposed ban on carrying of other types of licensed arms from September 23 to October 7. The government slapped the moratorium by an order issued yesterday for controlling law and order before, during and after the October... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Use-And-Throw Pistol Now
Independent (Pakistan)
10 September 2001
DINAJPUR -- With the abundant availability of huge sophisticated firearms, a different type of pistol is now coming into the country from India, which can be used one time only, reports UNB. Reliable sources said a huge quantity of such pistols is coming into the country along with other firearms through the different border areas of the district, which is cheaper in price and handy. They said each of the pistols could... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Recovering Arms for Ensuring Internal Security
Independent (Pakistan), Editorial
9 September 2001
Over the past several years the country has been passing through a wave of horrific violence in which hundreds of people were killed. Never before the country was in the grip of such a severe bloody violence. And now pre-election violence continues to increase resulting in huge toll of human lives as illegal weapons are in the possession of terrorists and criminals. Almost every day the newspapers are reporting about either bloody clashes... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
131 Firearms Seized, 1,921 Held in Pabna
Independent (Pakistan)
22 August 2001
PABNA -- Pabna district police seized a total of 131 firearms and 2,051 explosives on the 30th day of the countrywide combing operation ending on August 15. Police also arrested 1,921 persons during the drive. The arrested persons included 98 activists of an outlawed political party, 18 listed terrorists and seven terrorists with firearms. The recovered firearms included one rifle, nine pistols, seven revolvers, 15 guns, 28 shutter... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Illegal Weapons to Be Put to Torch
Dawn (Karachi)
13 August 2001
ISLAMABAD -- A huge quantity of arms recovered during the recent deweaponisation campaign will be put to the torch in Quetta on Aug 20, Dawn reliably learnt. All the arms which are not in good condition will be burnt, while those in working condition will be handed over to the law enforcement agencies, an interior ministry official said. Interior Minister Lt-Gen Moinuddin Haider will preside over a meeting of inter-provincial... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Guns a Way of Life in Remote Pakistan
Marlborough Express (New Zealand)
3 August 2001
The first time you hear it you jump. The rapid crack of gunfire from the street, followed by a wafting cloud of smoke. Soon you get used to it and when the shots ring out you manage not to spill the cup of tea you've been handed. Welcome to Darra Adam Khel, gun city Pakistan, one of the most unique towns you're likely to come across and not a place for pacifists. For more than 100 years it has been a centre of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Musharraf Vows 'Offensive' Arms Searches in Pakistan
Independent (Pakistan)
2 August 2001
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani authorities will launch "targeted searches" to recover millions of illegal arms following a spate of high-profile assassinations, President Pervez Musharraf said Thursday, reports AFP. The general said the military-led government was determined to crack down on the gun culture which is fueling bloody sectarian, ethnic and political violence throughout the country. "Let me assure you, we will be conclusive,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
In Pakistan Outback, Guns Abound
Associated Press
13 July 2001
DARRA ADAM KHEIL, Pakistan -- Gun-toting tribesmen jostle with goats and donkeys at a dust-blown bazaar on Pakistan's lawless northwest frontier, where slabs of hashish dangle above dirty roadside shacks and every third shop is a small armory of handguns, rifles and machine guns. In this wild no-man's-land of 15,000 people, where druglords rule from hilltop forts and fugitives come to escape the law, gun-making is a tradition that... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Asia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India
South Asian Nations Awash in Small Weapons, Many Purchased by the United States
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
11 July 2001
South Asia is awash in small arms -- many bought by the United States for Afghanistan's mujahedeen during the 1980s -- and large quantities are in the hands of insurgents throughout the subcontinent, arms experts say. Small arms "are the weapons of choice" in many of the small regional insurgencies in Pakistan, Kashmir, Sri Lanka or rebel movements in northeastern India, said Faruq Faisel, spokesman for the South Asia Partnership... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Weapons Amnesty Declared in Pakistan
Washington Times
7 June 2001
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's military government yesterday began a countrywide crackdown on illicit weapons possession by allowing unlicensed guns to be turned in with impunity until June 20. After that, mandatory 14-month prison sentences will be imposed. Enforcement methods have been left in the hands of the governors of the country's four provinces -- Sind, Punjab, Northwest Frontier and Baluchistan. Pakistan's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Northwest Pakistan, Where Guns Are the Jewellery of Men
Christian Science Monitor
27 March 2001
LANDIKOTAL, Pakistan -- In his tiny shop inside the Khyber Pass near the Afghan border, Shoaib Khan pulls out his bestseller: the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle. "Every man should have at least one gun of his own," he says, briefly interrupted as three shots ring out nearby: A customer at another shop is shooting a weapon into the air to test it. "Weapons are the jewelry of men," he smiles. "Women wear jewelry, men wear... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Tackling the Culture of Jihad
Guardian (UK)
16 February 2001
Pakistan's military regime has earned the wrath of the country's religious militants by warning that it will crack down on their fund raising and the widespread use of illegal weapons. In the past, no Pakistani government has dared to curb the power of the religious right, which, for the past decade, has focused its energy on what it calls a 'jihad', or holy war, against Indian rule in Kashmir. Now the interior minister,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Plan to Buy Illegal Weapons
BBC News
7 November 2000
The Pakistani government says it is considering a proposal to buy back illegal and unlicensed weapons from their owners. The Pakistani interior minister, Moinuddin Haider, said the move was part of a drive to create a weapon-free society. According to the proposals, which will be put forward to the cabinet for approval, the owners would receive between twenty-five and fifty percent of the weapons' value. The government... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan Government Wants to Regularize Arms Trade in Tribal Area
The News (Islamabad)
27 September 2000
ISLAMABAD -- The government wants to regularise arms trade in Darra Adamkhel, an official told The News here on Tuesday. He said an official Task Force will finalise deweaponisation policy on Wednesday. The government will unfold the policy for debate to elicit public opinion before getting it approved from the federal cabinet, he said. He said: "The basic objective is to cleanse the society of illegal arms, which will automatically help... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Govt. Seeks to Disarm Pakistanis
Associated Press
2 March 2000
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- It became a crime in Pakistan on Thursday to publicly display weapons -- no small thing in a country awash in arms, where a rocket launcher can be bought in the open market. And that's just the beginning, said Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider, whose job it is to bring order to a nation wracked by sectarian violence, ethnic killings and assassinations. "They will not like it," the retired army general... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan to Crack Down on Illegal Arms
Xinhua
14 February 2000
ISLAMABAD -- The Federal Government of Pakistan is considering a major crackdown on illegal arms holders after mid-March to ensure safety of the masses and improve law and order situation, Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said. A proposal to this effect is under consideration by the government to collect all kinds of illegal arms throughout the country, the minister told the local press after a function in Karachi on Sunday. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Gun Dealers Fight for Trade
BBC News
27 January 2000
Arms dealers in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province are having a hard time making a living these days. The province is where the Khyber Pass links Pakistan to Afghanistan, and where many of the province's Pashtun people, also known as the Pathans, live in "tribal" areas, largely free from Pakistani laws. It is also home to a large unlicensed arms trade -- which took off during the Afghan war, as US weapons for the mujahideen... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistan to Introduce Law Banning Illegal Weapons
Xinhua
8 January 1999
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Shajuat Hussain Friday said the government has decided to introduce a new law to enhance punishment for those who keep illegal weapons. Talking to reporters here, he said that the Interior Ministry has prepared a draft of the new law in consultation with the law ministry, adding that ordinance in this connection could be issued any time. He said that a large-scale operation will be launched... ( gunpolicy.org )
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